1. Field of the Invention
A tool in the form of a guide to assist accountants, bookkeepers or others engaged in reading or transcribing information oriented in horizontal rows and vertical columns with such information including but not limited to numerical indicia. The tool or guide is in the form of an L-shaped member having a relatively long horizontal component and a relatively short vertical component with each of the components including a longitudinally extending transparent viewing area delineated by readily discernible lines with the areas outside of the viewing areas being translucent to facilitate proper orientation of the guide and yet enabling easy and effective observation of the indicia underlying the longitudinal transparent viewing areas. The juncture of the horizontal and vertical components is provided with a cut out in the form of a window to enable information to be transcribed onto an underlying sheet of paper. The tool or guide is preferably constructed of plastic material with the long or horizontal component being provided with a living hinge to facilitate folding into a more compact condition.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Accurate reading or transcription of indicia when arranged in horizontal rows and/or vertical columns has been and continues to be a problem for persons engaged in such activities as accountants, bookkeepers and the like. Various efforts have been made to alleviate this problem by providing tools, instruments, guides and the like with the following U.S. patents being exemplary of the development in this art.
U.S. Pat. No. 741,140, 10-13-03 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 776,651, 12-6-04 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,658,499, 2-7-28 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,862, 3-31-64 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,752, 8-30-66 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,739, 6-19-73 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,831, 4-24-77
U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,739 discloses an instrument having a transparent area extending longitudinally thereof to assist a reader in reading information oriented in horizontal rows but would not assist a reader or transcriber of data in either accurately reading or writing material associated with a particular horizontal row and/or a particular vertical column.